Step 1: Materials

Step 2: Setup

Before we begin programming chips we must set up the Arduino. First, make sure your Arduino IDE is up to date. Then select the File >> Examples >> ArduinoISP sketch and upload it to your Arduino. Now your Arduino is now an AVR ISP.

Step 3: Using Your Arduino ISP: Programming AVRs Without Bootloaders

There are a few instances in which it is neccesary to program microcontrollers without a bootloader. For example, if have run out of storage on a chip you can get an additional 2KB when you program without a bootloader. Another example, the one I will show you how to do, is to program chips that have no serial capabilities and therefore cannot use a bootloader. The ATtiny85 is one of these chips.

To program the ATtiny85 using the Arduino ISP you must first add ATtiny85 support to the Arduino environment:
* Download attiny45_85.zip
* Unzip the folder
* Copy the folder to the Arduino IDE's Hardware folder
* Reopen the Arduino IDE, you should see the ATtiny85 in the Tools >> Board menu

Now connect your Arduino ISP to the ATtiny85 like the diagram below.

Open the Blink sketch, change every '13' to '0', select ATtiny85 from the Tools >> Board menu, and select the serial port that is your Arduino ISP. Now click on upload and your ATtiny will begin blinking the LED once it's done.

I do not have an arduino board but, have breadboarded a 328 chip. I can burn bootloader to the 328 chip but can not get the ArduinoISP sketch to load to the 328. I do get an error msg... avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp-0x00 . I also have some programs I want to DL to the ATTiny85 but, can not until this problem is solved. Can you help me?

No, in this context ISP stands for 'In System Programmer'. Iow, it's a device which enables you to programme your AVR chip in situ, without having to remove it from the circuit. ISP programming is a fairly recent innovation in microcontroller programming.

Hi. I had the exact same problem when I was using Arduino as an ISP. What I found is that arduino is trying to write data too fast. You can fix it by selecting "Arduino NG or older" from the boards menu and "Arduino ISP" as a programmer. This will force ISP to write data at 19,2kbps instead of 57,6kbps. Hope it helps.

But I still have a question with the time. Now, I used the blink program to test it out. Blinking a led 1000 ms on and 1000 ms off. At least so is it written in the code. The actual blinking is rather 8 seconds on and 8 seconds off. Probably something with some different oscillator inside. (I used ATtiny2313)Do you maybe know a proper way to adjust this?

(ok, I can divide everything by 8 but there is probably a better way.)

It's been a couple years, but people might want to know. Your code has to be compiled for the correct clock speed of your target chip. This is when the conversion between cycles and ms occurs, so your code does not need to change.

Please help, this must be my 20th time trying to get this to work. I'm currently trying to use Arduino 1.0 I dowloaded the correct ATiny files, it burns the bootloader just fine but then when I go to upload the Blink sketch I get:

Problem uploading to Board.

avrdude: please define PAGEL and BS2 signals in the configuration file for part ATtiny85 avrdude: please define PAGEL and BS2 signals in the configuration file for part ATtiny85

Nice instructible, but would you happen to know why my blink sketch runs about 5x faster when I upload it to the ATiny? I don't have any real errors, the sketch is set to delay 1000 like normal but it cycles about every .2 secs.

I found it easier to add the optional LEDs to the 7,8,9 pins for a error, programming and heartbeat LEDs (respectively) and leaving the LED on the breadboard off until the program successfully uploads. It just helped with debugging and understanding the circuit.

I want to use it for Controlling Home appliances through Bluetooth Mobile and please can any one send me complete code for this microcontroller and which tool will be used to assemble and depoly the code

Damn the title is misleading to me... i thought it said ISP as in Internet Service Provider, and i was like WOOOOAAAAA, then i was like.......................................................................................................................no

Agreed! This is much more useful for building a business than trying to compete with the phone company. Various companies are currently selling circuits based upon a custom programmed chip. Everything is open source but of course the pre-programmed chip is what you end up buying... and that's where the money is to be made.

I gave up doing the Internet Service Provider thing a long time ago also. This has more potential on the scale that I would operate.

I'm curious to know what the expectation of an Arduino Internet Service Provider would be. I was in the dial-up ISP business in 1995. So, my thoughts on what ISP means is different than most consumers.

Well jayjay, I was like................................................blhurhshphit, then I was like.................................................plplplplpliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip, then I was like.............................................."what is it with people these days expressing their emotions so poorly?"